Attributes Needed for Good Communication
Essential attributes for successful team members include:
- Open-mindedness
- Tolerance of different perspectives
- Willingness to experience new modes of interaction
- Accepting of changes in authority and status, and even desire for challenge.
- Ensuring that important pieces of information are constantly being conveyed
and understood by all team members.
- Team members must be honest about their own wishes, needs, and concerns.
The following tips will be helpful for maintaining open communication on your
team:
- Err on the side of over communicating. The inconvenience of sharing too much
information is not as great as the potential risks associated with team members
not having the information they need.
- Seek to understand all angles. This usually means soliciting input from team
members and then listening with the intent to fully understand the intended
meaning.
- Take responsibility for being heard and understood. All team members should
work to get their message across so that its original meaning is understood.
- Work to clear up misunderstandings quickly and accurately.
Misunderstandings, when left unchecked, can become the source of great conflict among team
members. It is usually best to clear up misinformation as soon as possible.
- Reinforce and recognize team member efforts. Information sharing and
soliciting input from others are activities that should be valued by the team.